“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”

I have been spending a lot of time in recent weeks studying a couple of my Civil War ancestors. Issac Turner fought for the Union with the 4th Tennessee Mounted Infantry and Dr Nathan Blunt Kennedy tended to the Confederate sick and wounded with the 27th Alabama Infantry Regiment. The military records of the two gentleman reveal a lot about the day-to-day life of a soldier in this incredible conflict. Their travels, their pay, care of their horses…it’s all in the records.

But what of such simple things as everyday dress? We’ve all seen movies depicting the Civil War, some more realistic and accurate, such as Glory, than others, like Gone With The Wind. But what did these common foot soldiers really look like?

Chris from The Genealogue has posted about the costs involved in becoming a Civil War re-enactor. The link in his post goes to an article on the subject written in the York Daily Record. At the bottom of the page is an image of what a soldier during the Battle of Gettysburg wore:

Click on the image above to go to a Flash presentation of this poster. It is a fascinating look at one of the most important battles of the Civil War and the men who participated.